“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”
~ Acts 5:41
Hi James and Ellen,
It is about 1985 years ago as of the editing of this missive – which was first sent to you over sixteen years ago. You are Jews. You are living in the city of Jerusalem. Your dad and ma were glad when they saw the hands and feet of a troublemaker being nailed to a cross after the guy was tied to it. Your dad and ma were glad that the guy – after enduring hours of horrific tormenting and suffering, finally died on the cross on which he had been tied and nailed to. Your dad and ma are not happy though that the rabblerouser’s companions have not gone away. A loudmouth, ex-fisherman by the name of Peter has taken on being the leader of a band of now eleven guys who had for at least two years followed this guy – whose name was Jesus, Who was Who had been tied and nailed to a cross. You have been entertaining yourselves following Peter and his gang around. Your dad and ma had told you to stay away from this guy and his small band of cronies but . . . what else is there for you to do to have fun in the city of Jerusalem? The Jesus-follower movement that was taking place right now in the city of Jerusalem involved guys, gals and kids accepting what Jesus had taught as being the absolute truth. You had several days ago suddenly heard the sound of a really strong wind even though you could not feel any wind, you saw small flames of fire flickering on the heads of some of the guys and gals and you heard guys and gals speaking in strange languages and being understood by other guys and gals. You wanted to run – but you did not run; your innate curiosity made you want to see and hear more.
You decided this morning – even though your dad and ma made it very clear that you were not to go there, to go to Solomon’s Colonnade. Solomon’s Colonnade was where Peter, his gang of buddies and a rapidly growing mob of Jesus-followers would get together to spend time with each other. Solomon’s Colonnade was a place where you would often go to to play with other kids. You had become really intrigued with why guys and gals – and even kids, were giving away to each other things that they had – and why they were giving money to Peter and his comrades. Doctor Luke wrote in what is now Acts 5 what you witnessed this morning. You noticed a guy – who was a friend of your dad, put down a bag of money where Peter and his cronies were standing. You heard Ananias – who was the friend of your dad, tell Peter and his hoodlums that the bag of money was all the money that he had gotten when he sold some of his land. Peter clearly was not a happy camper. You heard Peter tells Ananias that it was one thing to lie to him but lying to God . . . and then you realized that Ananias had been zapped. You wonder how in the world Peter could have known that the money that Ananias was giving to him and his cohorts was not all the money that Ananias said that it got for the land that he had just sold. You incredulously watched several young guys haul off Ananias’ corpse. You are still hanging out at Solomon’s Colonnade when Ananias’ wife showed up there about three hours later. You heard Sapphira tell Peter and his guys the same story that her husband – Ananias, had told them. Sapphira ended up just as dead as her husband. When you finally got home, you told your dad and ma what you saw happen to your dad’s friend and the guy’s wife. You were grounded. You were okay with being stuck in your flat roof, rock wall house. You were able to watch from the roof as Peter and the group of other guys who that guy Jesus chose to do whatever with stroll the streets. You see guys and gals who were sick or who were physically challenged trying to position themselves so that Peter’s shadow would fall on him or her – thinking that they would become well again because of becoming exposed to Peter’s shadow – which you heard did actually happen. You saw guys and gals who had a bad spirit or spirits living in them brought to Peter to have him toss out the evil spirit or spirits. You saw deranged guys and gals immediately become sane and normal acting. You wanted to know more but . . . tension was increasing on the street among the Sadducee leaders – who were your dad’s guys, as to what to do with this rebel band of ingrates who were getting a whole lot of attention from a lot of guys, gals and kids who were wanting to hear and see more and more what these guys were saying, teaching and doing.
Your dad’s guys finally were able to get Peter and his sidekicks off the street by having them put in jail. Your dad was in a really ugly mood the next day when he was told that Peter and his compatriots were back on the street talking again about that guy Jesus. Your dad could not believe that an angel supposedly showed up in the middle of the night and . . . leaving the jail door locked and the guards still standing in place thinking that they were guarding dangerous dudes. You really expected that Peter and the guys who were with him would be killed – just as the Jesus guy was killed, but a moderate Pharisee – Gamaliel, who was really respected by your dad and every other Jewish guy as someone who really had a handle on the Jewish law, told the guys that killing Peter and his chums probably would not stop the movement – just as killing a couple of other instigators – Theudas and Judas the Galilean, did not stop their movements. Gamaliel’s plan was to let God decide whether or not the movement that Peter and his allies are advocating is for real or not for real. You were not surprised though that Peter and his friends ended up being whipped with forty less one skin tearing lashes. You though that now that this risk taking, fearless guy – Peter, would back off and . . . verse 41 says, “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” When you get as old as what your dad and ma are now, would you like to be Christ-follower revolutionaries who are living their lives for Jesus’ Name’s sake – just as Peter lived his life.
Acts 5 (737)